Suspense Over Ojy Okpe After On-Set Brush With Abati

Viewers of Arise News Television’s The Morning Show were on Monday put in suspense after one of their favourite presenters on the show, Ojy Okpe did not turn up for her usual slot following a Friday exchange with the show’s anchor, Dr Rueben Abati.

GWG.ng reports that the drama on set of The Morning Show arose on Thursday when Dr Abati in responding to the comments of Senator Godswill Akpabio at a tribute service for the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah made a comment some saw as derogatory to the Igbo.

He had while commenting on Akpabio’s response to pass on a message to President Bola Tinubu on the release of Nnamdi Kanu had commended the industry of the Igbo. He, however, noted that the Igbo do not sell land to outsiders. He referenced what he claimed as a story he heard from someone on how the late TOS Benson was refused a land to purchase for his children from an Igbo wife.

That comment, however, did not go down with many Igbo who saw it as bigotry on the side of Dr Abati. While Yoruba zealots saw it as another example of Igbo self-centeredness, many Igbo, however, faulted Abati with many giving examples of Yoruba owning lands in Igbo states.

However, the drama erupted on the set of The Monday Show the following day, Friday, when Ojy Okpe during her slot, “What is Trending” sought for Abati to respond to the denials of his assertion that Igbo do not sell land to outsiders. Abati’s response was a sharp rebuke on set to Ojy Okpe with an assertion that he would not repeat himself and that what he has said will not be reversed.

Ojy Okpe, however, went on to assert that a single narrative should not be used for a generalisation of a tribe and moved on to other trends.

The sharp rebuke of Ojy Okpe by Abati, however, trended with many asserting it as an example of bigotry on the part of the former presidential aide.

Some were, however, quick to distance Abati from accusations of ethnic bigotry as tapes of his past narration on the marginalisation of the Igbo also came up in his defence.

However, many accusations of bully of his media subordinates erupted with allegations of past brushes with subordinates on set.

GWG.ng reports that expectations on how Abati and Ojy Okpe will carry on their normally cordial on-set relationship on Monday after their last tiff on Friday was, however, not to be.

In her place for the What is Trending slot was Vimbai Mutinhiri – Ekpenyong. No reason was given for the absence of Ojy Okpe putting a suspense over her on-set relationship with Abati.

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